Two-time Formula 1 champion Fernando Alonso chased immortality at the Indy 500 and came up short three times. His first attempt in 2017 looked promising. He led laps, thrilled fans, and walked away with Rookie of the Year honors. But an engine failure on Lap 179 ended his run. In 2019, it got worse. He failed to even qualify. By 2020, he returned with one goal: to finish. He did, in 21st place, after clutch problems sabotaged his day.
“My first Indy 500 completed! A great experience! When we were already at half point of the comeback (P15 mid-race), we had a clutch failure… so every pit stop from there we had a manual start with mechanics pushing old school! Happy anyway! Thanks, Indy,” Alonso said after the race. Notably, Alonso’s dream has always been the Triple Crown—wins at Monaco, Le Mans, and Indy. Only Graham Hill has ever done it. Alonso has two.
The Indy 500 is the one that keeps slipping away. His 2020 run with Arrow McLaren SP may have been his last. Now, it might not just be Alonso moving on. The Indy 500 itself could be facing a new kind of threat. Formula 1, Alonso’s home turf, is preparing to challenge America’s biggest motorsport weekend. If plans hold, F1’s Canadian Grand Prix could land on the same Sunday as IndyCar’s crown jewel and NASCAR’s longest race. For Roger Penske and American motorsports, that would be red alert.
Formula 1 keeps Roger Penske on his toes
Formula 1 hasn’t even reached the halfway mark in its current season, but all eyes are already on the 2026 season. Next year, everything changes as the FIA is looking to bring new car designs, new engine rules, and a new calendar. The FIA is finalizing the race schedule, and media leaks suggest a major reshuffle with some iconic returns and possible misses. But one move has everyone talking: Canada’s Grand Prix could shift to Memorial Day weekend.
That’s the same time the Indianapolis 500 is traditionally run, and just hours before NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 begins. Suddenly, the biggest day in American racing could become a three-way tug of war. This isn’t a hypothetical anymore. F1’s reshuffling of Monaco and Montreal is already setting the pieces in place. With Monaco moving to early June, F1 needs to slot Canada earlier. The likely window? May 23–24. That’s Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. If confirmed, F1’s race in Montreal could run at nearly the same time as the Indy 500.
Lots of good intel from @LukeSmithF1 on the 2026 F1 schedule, including the likelihood of a date clash between the Indy 500 and Canadian Grand Prix. https://t.co/FOMET5kWUo
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) June 3, 2025
The overlap would force sponsors, fans, media, and even drivers to choose. No more seamless transition from one iconic race to the next. No more “motorsports Christmas.” It’s a collision course that could fracture what was once a unified celebration of speed and patriotism. Formula 1’s move wasn’t designed to disrupt the Indy 500, but that’s exactly what it might do. And NASCAR, which anchors the nightcap with its Coca-Cola 600, won’t escape unscathed either. The potential for TV ratings cannibalization and media overload is real.
Notably, this is not the first move by F1, which is aiming at the American audience. Over the last few years, F1 has made a full-court press into the U.S. market. It started with Netflix’s Drive to Survive, a docuseries that gave American audiences a front-row seat to the drama, rivalries, and personalities of global racing. The results were stunning. Viewership on ESPN more than doubled. Suddenly, F1 wasn’t foreign. It was cool, stylish, and cinematic for the American viewers.
And F1 isn’t done. The sport now promotes its own Las Vegas event, has a media deal worth $85 million annually, and is in talks for a possible fourth U.S. race. Hollywood is in on it, too, with a Brad Pitt film in the works and A-list investors like Ryan Reynolds and Michael B. Jordan backing teams. This isn’t a quiet invasion. It’s a cultural blitz. Now, by possibly hijacking Memorial Day weekend, F1’s grip on American attention could tighten.
Meanwhile, Roger Penske‘s IndyCar isn’t standing still. The 2026 season will still open with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1. But Penske Entertainment is considering a full international off-season series to raise its global profile. That’s a major shift. IndyCar hasn’t succeeded in overseas expansion before, but now it’s eyeing a bold barnstorming tour between seasons, racing in new countries, new markets, and bringing the American brand of open-wheel racing to fresh eyes.
Also on the table for IndyCar: new urban races and reshuffled calendar dates. The series is expected to add a major city race for 2026 and is weighing adjustments to stay competitive, not just with F1 but with NASCAR as well. For IndyCar, 2026 isn’t just about racing faster, it’s about racing smarter. But nothing may matter more than keeping the Indy 500 unchallenged on Memorial Day. If it overlaps with F1, that’s not just a scheduling conflict, it’s a threat to the series’ crown jewel.
NASCAR’s 2026 Game Plan
Meanwhile, NASCAR isn’t sitting idle either as Formula 1 challenges American turf. Big changes are in motion for the 2026 season. First, the championship race will no longer be locked to Phoenix. Starting that year, NASCAR will rotate the title finale between tracks. Homestead-Miami will host in 2026, bringing variety and unpredictability to the sport’s ultimate showdown. There’s also serious discussion about changing the playoff format.
While the 16-driver, four-round system remains for 2025, NASCAR has formed a special committee to explore tweaks. This group includes drivers, team reps, sponsors, and media voices. Their goal: modernize the playoff experience without losing the drama. Additionally, Street racing could also evolve. NASCAR is eyeing a San Diego Street race to replace Chicago’s event. This move would continue the sport’s exploration of urban circuits, places where new fans and big markets collide.
And in a bold international step, NASCAR’s Xfinity Series is planning a return to Montreal in 2026, with the Cup Series possibly joining in 2027. All these moves point to a simple truth—NASCAR is preparing for a more competitive, more global, more crowded future. And Memorial Day weekend may soon be the biggest battleground of them all.
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